The Nintendo Switch 2 won't be more expensive due to rising RAM costs at the moment, but Nintendo is monitoring the situation closely. Pricing has been a bit of a contentious topic for the console, with concerns surrounding a tariff-induced price increase around launch and many gamers criticizing the cost of its games, game upgrades and accessories. Thankfully, it seems the Nintendo Switch 2 will remain unaffected by wider market changes for now, but that doesn't mean a future boost is off the table.
There has been a lot of talk about rising prices since RAM costs started to skyrocket towards the end of 2025. As chip makers like Samsung, Micron and SK Hynix diverted more memory to AI data centers and less to the gaming sector, the prices of RAM, SSDs and other components went through the roof, with no sign of abating. While the shortage has primarily affected PC gamers, there's talk that Xbox and Sony could delay their next-gen consoles because of it, and now Nintendo has offered some clarity on how it's approaching it all.
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Nintendo president says Switch 2 is safe from rising RAM costs for now
In an interview with the Kyoto Shimbun, Nintendo president Shuntaro Furukawa admitted that the current RAM market is “volatile” but that it has “no immediate impact on revenue,” so the Switch 2 will remain the same price for now. While there were concerns that Nintendo might pass on higher RAM costs to Switch 2 buyers, the company has avoided that for now due to its supply chain strategy. Furukawa explained that Nintendo orders parts and materials based on its medium- to long-term forecasts, so it already had enough RAM on hand to weather the current storm. But the president was also careful to say that things could change in the future.
Furukawa mentioned that Nintendo is closely monitoring the memory market due to its volatility at the moment. While he didn't comment on whether the Switch 2 would become more expensive if costs reached a certain point, it's safe to assume the company would at least consider it if it believes RAM prices will become too high or remain expensive for too long. Its current safety stocks will eventually run out, and when they do, history suggests an increase may be in order. In the fall of 2025, Nintendo raised the price of the original Switch, citing market conditions, proving Mario the manufacturer isn't shy about bumping things up when the economy gets tough.
Current signs don't look promising for anyone hoping to buy a Switch 2 in the future. While there may not be a price increase right now, it seems the memory crisis could continue for a while, raising the risk that Nintendo's safety stock is running low. During its latest earnings call, Micron said it expects the RAM shortage to continue beyond 2026, as it will take time for production to catch up with rising demand. If the market remains strained for too long, it could cause Nintendo to re-strategize and raise Switch 2 costs to account for higher manufacturing costs, although avoiding that in the short term.
RAM-related spending may not be the only macroeconomic factor affecting Nintendo's hardware down the road. Furukawa said the company is still looking at tariffs and how to make things more expensive. Unfortunately for consumers, he also said Nintendo's policy is to “recognize the tariffs as a cost and pass them on to prices as much as possible,” meaning higher costs on Nintendo's side would almost certainly fall on buyers. Notably, Nintendo raised some Switch 2 accessory prices just before the console's US launch due to tariffs, so an increase on the system itself is never out of the question.
- Stamp
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Nintendo
- Original release date
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June 5, 2025
- Original MSRP (USD)
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$449.99
- Operating system
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Proprietary
- Resolution
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1080p (handheld) / 4K (docked)
- HDR support
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Yes
Source: Kyoto Shimbun
